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Iraq vs Iran Prediction & Betting tips
They are not green, the two Middle East neighbors from Iraq and Iran. After all, there are currently no military actions between the two states. More attractive is anyway the sportive dispute and on Thursday finds a new edition. In qualifying for the World Cup 2022, these two teams meet in the group stage of the second round.
Iraq has only been able to qualify for the 1986 World Cup in Mexico and has since disappeared in international consolidation. By contrast, the Iranians are now regulars on the world stage. In the last six World Championships, the team Melli was a total of four times. Now, however, the team of Marc Wilmots is under pressure.
In the second qualifying group in Asia, 40 teams play in eight groups of five. Only the winners of the group and the four best second will go one round and may still dream of the World Cup. It could be really tight for Iran. In the table after three games namely Iraq and Bahrain with seven points each at the top. Iran has one less counter.
A defeat in the derby should not allow the team Melli. First place would then be very difficult to achieve and after the already traded defeat against Bahrain even second place would only be achieved with a feat of strength. Before kick-off between Iraq and Iran, we do not dare to predict that the Iranians will be back in the 2022 World Cup.
In general, however, Iran should be more valued than Iraq. The team Melli will therefore be favored on Thursday. The Iraqis should, however, go euphoric in this match. A victory would be a milestone on the way to the third round. Even so, the odds of kicking off between Iraq and Iran – quotas show it – must go in the direction of the guests.
One of the drawbacks of the Iraqis is that matches must be played on Thursday against Iran and next weekend against Bahrain for safety concerns from FIFA in Jordan. However, for the team of Srecko Katanec home games in stadiums are not unusual. The kick-off for the World Cup qualifier between Iraq and Iran at the Amman International Stadium will take place on 14.11.2019 at 14:00.
Iraq:
The record of Srecko Katanec as coach of the Lions of Mesopotamia can be seen in principle. In eleven international matches under the direction of the Slovenian coach, the Iraqis conceded just two defeats. The expectations in Iraq, however, are enormous, because the potential is there, although this can not be fully exploited by many unrest in the home.
That’s why the Iraqis played in their own FIFA World Cup qualifier against Hong Kong for the first time in eight years. After the recent clashes in Iraq, it may take another eight years to get there again. It would be just in the World Cup qualifying the home right of inestimable value.
Overall, the Iraqis have been unbeaten in four games. The Elf of Srecko Katanec took considerable draws in Bahrain and in a friendly match in Uzbekistan. Quality is in any case available and therefore we come also to the conclusion that it could be meaningful to examine in the match between Iraq and Iran the quotas on a point profit of the landlords.
The last international match was played by the Iraqis in Cambodia in mid-October. If you want to go to the World Cup, you have to win this match for yourself and that’s how Iraq won a sovereign 4-0 away win. Ibrahim Bayesh and Mohanad Ali Kadhim set the points with their goals in the first leg on victory. Amjad Attwan and Ahmad Ibrahim Khalef increased to 4-0 in the second round.
The last good results count nothing, if there is now a defeat against Iran.
Iraqi legend Saad Qais Noaman highlights the importance of this game to his compatriots by urging Srecko Katanec in a defeat against Iran to seek asylum in Jordan.
The Slovenian coach relies on proven personnel in the two groundbreaking games against Iran and Bahrain. The squad has changed only marginally compared to the last two wins against Hong Kong and Cambodia, and although the coach dispenses only with players that he wanted to observe against the two underdogs in the circle of the national team, but so far with the lion is not a big Role played.
Iran:
As a coach of the Iranian national team, it is not always easy. Carlos Queiroz, for example, repeatedly complained about outstanding salary payments. This is apparently going on with Marc Wilmots in this way. The Belgian coach of Team Melli has left because of outstanding salary payments from the national team and threatened with notice.
In the meantime the arrears payments should have flowed. Anyway, Marc Wilmots is back in the team preparing for the match against Iraq. The problem is supposed to be the financial sanctions against Iran, which make it almost impossible to transfer money to a foreign account.
Now Willi can focus on the fighting pig, as he was once called Schalke, back to his tasks. The Iranians are under great pressure. They can not afford a bankruptcy. Although there has been only one defeat in the last five games, or two failures in 17 games since the 2018 World Cup, but the 1-0 in Bahrain could have fatal consequences for the World Cup hopes of Team Melli.
The two deciding victories at the start of the qualification against Hong Kong and also the whopping 14: 0 against Cambodia were thus obsolete, because against the supposedly small favorites win probably both games, so it is extremely important, as the results in the duels between Bahrain, Iran and Iraq fail.
In Bahrain, Iran was the better team, but the alleged superiority could not be converted into countable. So Bahrain came after a little more than an hour penalty by a golden goal. Should Team Melli also have jams in Jordan on Thursday, then the bookmakers in the game between Iraq and Iran should perhaps adjust the forecasts towards the hosts.
Marc Wilmots will have to give up two veteran drivers in the derby. Ehsan Hajsafi and Ashkan Dejagah both have to pass due to injury. Nevertheless, the quality in the Iranian cadre is enormous. Especially the two offensive players Karim Ansarifard and Serdar Azmoun stand out, on whose goal it could arrive against Iraq above all.
Iraq vs Iran head to head matches
16.01.19 CUP Iran Iraq 0 : 0
18.03.17 FI Iran Iraq 0 : 1
23.01.15 CUP Iran Iraq 3 : 4 (1 : 1)
04.01.15 FI Iraq Iran 0 : 1
11.01.11 CUP Iraq Iran 1 : 2